Make a Difference in Someone's Life

Recently, an old friend of the family, who I've known since I was a little girl, committed suicide. He left behind three beautiful girls, and I have been wondering how something like this happens. Overall, I don't know, but in this case, I had some ideas. 

My friend was always very popular, very charismatic, and well-loved. He was very talented, he could sing and play the piano very well, and we all enjoyed his playing and singing when he would share. Despite this, he didn't call anyone and ask for help. He could have called any one of hundred of people, but he didn't. Why not?

Perhaps because he was so popular, that it was difficult for him to sort through what was real and what was not. People who are famous or rich, or in the lime-light for whatever reason, seem like they have perfect lives, but I'm wondering if it's not all that great. 

I have a hard time determining who are the good guys and who is trying to take advantage of me and my family. No matter how old I get, I still get tricked from time to time. However, take the example of the famous person - there are apt to be more bad guys trying to take advantage of them than of me. On top of that, some folks may not mean to hurt another, but just want to ride on the coat-tails of someone who appears to be doing well. 

For someone who is popular or famous and suffers from mental illness, this can be very dangerous. Even with all our faculties we still have a hard time making good judgements and choices. When some of our abilities to interpret data are damaged or not working very well, we end up with the wrong responses in our behavior. This could be as innocent as thinking someone is our friend when they really aren't, or as serious as believing we are a burden to our friends and family. 

When someone pretends to be your friend, you feel pretty icky, but imagine thinking that the people who love you the most would be better off without you around? More than icky. 

If someone you know struggles with the question of whether or not you need them, remind them. If you have an acquaintance that seems different, say something. When you walk down the street, or go in and out of a business, hold the door for someone, smile, make eye contact, be nice. Those kinds of things helps people who feel lonely and depressed to question their decision about the world, and helps them see that there is good out there. You really can make a difference in someone's life. Please try at every chance you get.

EAGALA - The Professionals

EAGALA stands for the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, and their website can be found here:

http://www.eagala.org

Fresh Steps EAP is not only an EAGALA Distinguished Program Member, but has always promoted and adhered to the EAGALA code of ethics. This includes having both a Licensed Mental Health Professional and and Equine Specialist. (See earlier blogs). This isn't about being on a 'high-horse' about what EAP should be, rather, it is about protecting the public. It is common sense that you would go to a specialist in the medical field, and this is no different. You should look for someone who is licensed (or license eligible under the supervision of a licensed professional) any time you need mental health services.

Certainly, only a licensed professional can bill you insurance, but it isn't just about funding. Licensing exists to provide an avenue for lodging complaints if a licensee is not providing ethical care. Without a license, if you are unhappy or worse, hurt in some way, it is just too bad. Sorry, no refunds, no recourse. Just learn to live with it.

Therapist work hard to acquire their licenses, and are very proud to have it. If they decide to move away, their license is often transferable to another state, because the standards are often the same. The same is true for credentialing in such a specialty as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. When you hire someone to guide you through this amazing process, you want to know that your team is certified and knows what they are doing! An Equine Specialist not only has specialized training with communicating with horses and interpreting behaviors, but also to use this information in mental health.

Both human members of the team invest in themselves to be trained through EAGALA, and maintain continuing education requirements and pay for their membership to the organization. If they do not adhere to the ethics of EAP, a complaint could be lodged against them, and they could not only lose their membership, but also their credential. This is a huge investment in both time and money, and would not be taken lightly! Continuing education is provided by EAGALA who also approves of seminars by members for members. I can't say enough about how important continuing education is. It makes sure that your providers are giving you the best possible care with the most up-to-date treatment methods available. Since EAP is so new, this is even more important.

EAP and Depression

Many people come to Fresh Steps because they are suffering from depression. Depression has symptoms to include feelings of sadness, lack of interest in usual activities, poor appetite or overeating, having no energy or feeling fatigued, inability to sleep or sleeping too much, feeling hopeless, having a hard time concentrating or working, among others. See you therapist and talk about your symptoms to find out if a mood disorder describes your symptoms. You may find that medication paired with therapy helpful.

Using EAP to treat depression has one difficult part - getting to the arena to work. If you are depressed so much that you are unable to get to your appointments, you may need to see a psychiatrist for medical assistance. If you are able to make it to see the horses, talk to your therapist about how you feel, and be sure to give yourself time with your new friend, the horse.

Why the long face? Horse faces are very emotive.

If you are an EAP practitioner, be sure to give your clients time to be with their horse, and talk about how the horse feels about them. How does the horse feel today? Is the horse engaged with your today, or is the horse occupied with looking out the door or sniffing items in the arena. What does that mean about the horse, and about you?

Since self-esteem can be low with depressed mood, many comments may reflect this, such as the horse not liking me, horse is disinterested, etc. Take time to guide clients to change this feeling by noting behaviors of the horse that challenge this negative view. For example, what are some other possible feelings the horse may have? We have 8 dodge balls with opposite feelings words on each. Sometimes it is easy to just start with having an individual or family explore the feelings words and take some time to think about what each one means. It may also be helpful to see if clients notice that the words are opposites (for children). 

Feelings Balls: dodge balls with paint marker words added to each side

Having a vocabulary for the feelings one is having is essential to sharing with others. In EAP, people have the chance to show how they feel, and process feelings without talking about them. However, outside the arena, family members hope for verbal communication that will help them better understand their loved one. It is ultimately the goal to have a person feel better, but natural supports to include friends and family are necessary for prolonged healing and connection.

Activities that are a great start are feeling for breathing, where on the horse's body can you feel breathing? Sometimes we bring out the stethoscope, and allow participants to listen to breathing and heart beats. This activity helps 'center' a person, and keep them in the present moment. Adults tend to daydream about what was, or worry about what will be. Keeping them focused on the here and now with their horse will help refocus unhelpful cognition.

When there is a success, big or small, be sure to celebrate this success. This could be as simple as having a treat for the horse, or spending time in green pasture together. Be creative. This is simple, it is using positive reinforcement for the little things, like even showing up for a session despite feeling fatigued! Remember also to use retreat and approach so that clients can build trust and rapport with your therapeutic team as well as with their horse.

Part 3: Approach vs Retreat

Approach and retreat is a very powerful intervention to develop trust, confidence, and willingness. Horses play this game with each other - I have also observed them playing with new clients. It is simply that a person or horse approaches the other, may or may not make physical contact (for a short moment) and then walk away. This is repeated many times, depending on the individuals and their brief interaction when they are together.

Horses with eyes and ears forward, ok to approach!

When working with horses, the relationship and communication is what becomes important in the long run. As Pat Parelli always says, "Horses don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." 

I think people are much the same. Take whatever angle you are pursuing, and fill in the blanks. When a horse starts to turn their head away, or look away, take a step back, or turn and walk away. The horse's sense of curiosity gets the best of them. Perhaps they are thinking, "Hey, why aren't you just trying to get me?"

When the horse expects the interaction to create pressure, they stay away. Remember, horses move away from pressure, and move into pain. What we would like is to walk out to the paddock and have the horses walk right up to us in a friendly, comfortable way. If we are consistent with them, and retreat when there is too much pressure, the horses will start to feel more confident about the interaction, and they WILL walk right up to us. 

Our outdoor arena is about 80' x 130', and I have often asked those who are new to Parelli to release a horse into this arena with them, and get the horse to come to them. Of course, they don't believe this is possible, but it is! I have them put pressure on the horse's bubble (space) behind the horse, or stare at their tail. Initially, the horse runs around, or runs away. Then, they start to change directions. If they turn towards the person, I have the person take a step back, or turn and walk away from the horse. When the horse starts to run away or stop paying attention to the person, the resume staring at their tail. Believe it or not, I've never seen this NOT work... since that's a lot of negatives, THIS WORKS EVERY TIME. It works so well, that often the horse will start to follow the person, no halters and no lead ropes needed. It is an amazing feeling when the horse follows like this.

Take a moment to put this concept into perspective with others, whether children, spouse, students, clients, or whomever. If the person you wish to engage is feeling pressure from you, release the pressure so the conversation or interaction can happen. Some people will move in despite the pressure, but the relationship will be impaired in the long term. Start to look at your interactions with others and see if you are creating pressure, then approach and retreat until the situation feels more comfortable. Is now the right time to discuss this? Perhaps waiting till the crisis is over, or talking about things before a crisis begins? These are advanced versions of approach and retreat.

Part 2: Ball vs Chair

The Ball versus the chair has been a really great simulation for me, and for both children and adults. It is a great tidbit of information I gleaned from the Parelli Level 2 home study course. The idea is to get the ball and chair to move, without lifting them. The ball seems obvious, right? Push it, and it goes. However, if you push the ball, it can get away easily. Remember your soccer coach? He or she told you about 'ball control' and how important it was. 

You can even try this simulation at home if you have a large activity ball. If you lean forward and use your fingers as you push, you can easily turn and stop the ball if needed, and it doesn't 'escape'. An escape with a real horse means that you have put too much pressure (see Part 1) and the horse moves away too far and/or too quickly. To solve the issue of a horse escaping, we put the smallest amount of pressure, and when we get the smallest response, we stop the pressure and add petting the horse to let them know they did the right thing. The idea is to get the horse as sensitive to human touch as they are to a fly! What would this look like for a person?

The chair is obviously going to respond differently in this activity. In the picture below, the chair has four legs, and is sitting on sand. Try to push the chair from behind, without lifting it. What happens? The back of the chair comes up, and the front legs dig deeper into that sand. What's not moving? The front legs are not moving. How do you get the legs moving while you push the chair? Give a little encouragement to the legs by pushing with your foot, for example. The chair magically slides smoothly through the sand. The idea here is that you must problem solve for something that is not moving - the opposite of the escaping ball. Determine what is not moving, and find a creative way to encourage the non-moving element. What does this look like with a person?

What part is moving more like a ball or a chair?

Take a moment to think about people, and parts of their behavior that are either a ball or a chair. When you ask your boss for a new computer monitor, is their reaction more like a ball or a chair? How about when you ask your husband to go to a movie? Kids to go to the pool? When you can determine what type of movement you are dealing with, and you are asking questions rather than reacting, you keep the ball moving slowly and within your reach, and you don't have to strain your back by lifting the chair!

A more specific example:

You wish to motivate your 18 year old daughter to finish her resume. It is almost the end of the summer, and you are not sure why she has put it off. 

1. Check in with your feelings. Are you angry? Frustrated? Afraid of her reaction to you if you talk about it? What elements are at play for you and your daughter, pressure, or pain?
2. Thank yourself for the input, and put the feelings to one side. Your goal is to motivate, and if your feelings get in the way, this can create too much pressure (escape) or pain (digging in) for your daughter, neither with desirable results.
3. Ask a question. You may need more information to determine what aspects of this issue are more like a ball or a chair for your daughter. Don't use the word, "WHY" - it puts people on the defensive. Who (can she ask for help), what (tools does she need), when (does she have time), where (can she get the information she needs, and how (can you assist), are good words to try.
4. Approach and Retreat. Tune in next week for more about how to use this tool.

Part 1: Pressure vs Pain

Pressure versus pain can be somewhat difficult to intuit. Think about any time you hit your funny bone, or bump your knee on your desk. What do you do? As humans, and as predators, we generally grab the part or our body that got hurt. "Ow! I could have done without that!"

And we press on or hold the part that got hurt. This is actually a good thing at times, since if you have a cut you should apply pressure... but I digress. The point is, we move into pain. We quickly close in on pain. On the other hand, if someone is aiming at you with a water balloon, you tend to move away. We move away from pressure. 

An example of pressure and pain could be a hard rubber ball at the end of a string, and your best friend, who is a bit of a trixter, swinging it. At first, you would move away from pressure, since you know your friend will probably bonk you on the head. However, when that friend finally nails you with the ball on your head, you will grab your head with your hand. You will move into the pain. Of course, if you are quicker, you will probably grab the ball... but that ruins my example.

The first thing you can look at when someone reacts to you, is whether or not YOUR behavior was interpreted as pressure or pain. In the picture below, my horse is not moving away, but is allowing me to pet him. This seems like a neutral position. 

Neutral - touching without pressure nor pain

If I pinch my horse, what will he do? Well, I'd prefer not to experiment, but ultimately, it depends on how he interprets the feeling. When a horse feels the pinch of a girth being tightened, sometimes he turn to bite. This sounds like moving into pain. Other times, a horse may start to move away from a saddle when someone approaches. This sounds like moving away from pressure. This doesn't mean that when your horse calmly walks over to you he views you as pain!

An example of horses in a more natural environment would be when a horse pokes at his belly when he starts to colic. Moving into pain. When a horse walks away from another horse that has her ears pinned, that is moving away from pressure. In fact, that would be an example of emotional pressure, since there is no physical touch.

So, from this we learn that clients who move toward their treatment goals are moving because they or their therapist is providing them with pressure. When they leave or give up, they may have been pushed to the point of feeling pain, or too much pain.

When dealing with others, think about whether what you are doing elicits pain or pressure, and modify what you are doing to attain a more desirable result.

Feeling stuck? An introduction to getting un-stuck.

There are times in therapy when clients get stuck. As a client, this can be very frustrating, and can even lead some to seek out a new therapist, or a new type of treatment. Worse, some clients may give up on the process of healing all together, because they start to believe that there is no hope. Clearly, being stuck is something to avoid. 

It seems that it should be easy to keep people interested in treatment when they get to interact with horses, but getting stuck still happens. As a therapist, one may decide it is the clients falt. For example, the client must be doing something wrong such as not sharing, being defensive, or using defense mechanisms, or is just not invested in treatment. This may be true, but may also be an excuse so the therapist does not feel like a failure! If you are a treatment professional, ask yourself if there is something more going on. Remember, "it's never about what it's about", meaning, it is often not what is being talked about, rather, it is something deeper. If you are the person who is stuck, ask the same question! There are three areas that can be reviewed to determine how to get things moving again, and this article will, therefore, be divided into three parts:

1. Pain vs Pressure
2.  Ball vs Chair
3. Approach vs Retreat

The first, Pain versus Pressure, is something I learned about through EAGALA, and the last two, are Parelli Natural Horsemanship concepts that I have found very helpful with myself and my clients.

Prey Animals Frustrate Predators

I've been working on my Parelli Level 2, which is the natural horsemanship I'm learning with their home-based curriculum. You can check out their curriculum at: http://www.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com/ Right now they have a sale....

Anyway, Linda Parelli said something I thought was quite brilliant: horses and other prey animals frustrate predators to stay alive. If the predator gets frustrated enough, they will give up, and that horse gets to go on living another day. 

Wow

That really changes how I understand a lot of interactions. I mean, if a horse is often losing confidence and exhibiting behaviors as a result of fear, then I'm bound to get frustrated. That is the whole point of their behavior. So what should I do? Well, I would take note of the behavior and my reaction to it, and if I feel frustrated, stressed or otherwise irritated, I can remember the purpose of this feeling from the point of a prey animal, relax, and retreat. That's the hard part - noticing the feeling withing yourself.

Next, I can take time to think about what I did, or what was in the environment, or frankly, what part of the horse's individuality, elicited the behavior. This is the fun/creative part. There are innumerable possibilities, so sort them out in a hierarchy, and pick one to try. Then try it! Remember to go through this process again until communication improves.

I bring all of this up because it seems very relevant for individuals and families as we deal with one another. So as not to offend, let's take children for example. They can be very frustrating at times. They won't eat, they hate bedtime, won't take a nap, won't pick up their things, they cry, get tired, and are downright frustrating at times. But we love them so. We have a choice here, and important one at that: we can become frustrated and ESCALATE or TAKE NOTE of how we feel. Say to yourself, "Hm, interesting. I feel frustrated."

If you are able to notice where in your body you feel frustration, that can be helpful, too. Next, remain calm. You need your frontal lobes right now, and they start to turn off the more adrenaline you make (horses are the same way). I should note, that it is usually MUCH easier to think about these things when it is NOT happening. You should plan for uncomfortable or not-pleasurable things that happen before they happen, so you can elicit a change in the moment.

Here is a helpful process from High-Fidelity Wraparound, and it is called a Functional Assessment:

1. Clearly describe the potential crisis behavior, fequency, duration and intensity:
2. What happens before the behavior occurs (triggers)? are there times/situations where the behavior does not occur? Why?
3. What happens during the behavior? Does something make it worse?
4. What happens after the behavior occurs? Is there a time when the behavior doesn't occur:
5. Best guess about whey the behavior occurs? (what's the function of the behavior). What has been successfully tried in teh past?
6. Select a positive replacement behavior.

 This is very formal, but as you practice it, it becomes second nature, and you are able to do it on the fly. Next time, I will go through the process with an example to show you how it works. If you wish, please submit a question.

Turning our heads at violence and abuse

It probably happens a lot of places, but it definitely is happening here in Helena, Montana. Residents enjoy little crime, and the ability to do things like leave cars and homes unlocked. We have a low population, and enjoy the right to bear arms. Past that, folks don't seem to want to talk about the existence of violent crime and abuses of all kinds, including domestic violence, physical and emotional abuse, and especially sexual abuse. This needs to change.

The people that are involved in anti-stigma campaigning (mental health) are already on board. This is similar to our volunteer pool. We have a great group of people who really care about others and want to help others, and recognize the need for mental health services. How do we get new people that don't think about mental health as being a part of the overall good of the community?

Perhaps we start with discussing what is important about it. What's in it for me?

Let's talk about your pocketbook. Does it bother you that people steal from you? How about when they steal from local stores, and prices are higher to adjust for the theft. Do you enjoy paying for brick and mortar to house more criminals every year? They get food, clothing, and shelter at your expense. Had you thought about it? Is it worth it just to get these people off the streets, or would it be better for them to be PRODUCTIVE members of society, caring for themselves and their family members. Their work could potentially contribute to the local economy in a powerful way.

According to Dr. Grohol of PsychCentral.com*, over half (55%) of males in state prison have mental health issues. For women, it is even higher, 73%! There is generally very little treatment available. In Minnesota, things got better with a mental health court in place, as evidenced by a 20-25% improvement in offender outcomes.

I'm not suggesting that criminals not serve time for their crimes. I'm just saying that if people are LOOKING for problems within their coworkers and friends, and being open about talking about mental health issues, then folks would be more likely to seek out treatment before they get involved in illegal activities that violate your rights and mine. Sweeping it all under the rug just makes it worse and more costly in the long run.

For example, I recently sat in on a hearing for youth offenders. First on the docket was a youth who has been sexually molesting girls 10 years younger than he. The judge altered the order of the cases so that no one would have to hear the molestation case. Why not? Who was there that would be so offended? Also, did you know that sex offender (SO) treatment is ONLY available at youth prison such as Pine Hills? I believe it is the same for adults. These people are not going to be locked up and have their keys lost. They get released, and no treatment is available, without private pay (they have to pay for it outright). 

Montana Sexual Offender Treatment Association

Fresh Steps EAP is actively participating in High-Fidelity Wraparound through Montana's PRTF Waiver. This program looks at children between the ages of 6 and 18 for risk of being placed in residential treatment. If they are at risk, they enter the program and receive High-Fidelity Wraparound services that have been shown to reduce negative behaviors to include crime. The reason it works is because professional and non-professional team members alike, both collaborate and integrate their services. Agencies standing alone cannot create the powerful outcomes simply because they are not connected to the community. Why? This is where we live, and everyone needs to be 'plugged in' to the community for needed resources. This means that eventually families will learn to be independent and no need professional services. 

If it costs $100K per year to treat a youth in a residential treatment facility, then it may cost over $1M to treat this child over the course of over 10 years. Why not spend the money up front, and get the family and youth back in the community? Much cheaper. Much better for everyone. 

For more information about High-Fidelity Wraparound, please visit:

Vroon VanDenBerg


National Wraparound Initiative

and for more about 

Montana's PRTF Waiver


 

*http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/07/18/imprisoning-people-with-mental-illness/

What's an Equine Specialist, and what do they do?

Equine Specialists (ES) or Equine Professionals (EP) are the specialist on the EAP team that knows the most about the horses. I have seen folks use both terms, but I will use the term ES in my blog. ES's know a lot about horses. They should not only have not only worked in the equine industry for many years, have had horses themselves, and have participated in formal equine training, but also have studied equine behavior so they can be sure to include the horses in the EAP sessions. They should also become certified though EAGALA, as this process helps the ES become sensitive to mental and behavioral health issues. It is great if a therapist and ES team can go to the training together, so they are continually working on their team-building, and developing their own unique approach to the treatment.

ES's may develop unique activities for clients in EAP sessions, and overall, keep the horse a part of the session, and maintain physical safety of everyone involved. This means that the ES is keeping an eye on the horses, and if something seems to be escalating or getting problematic, they will know what to do to de-escalate the situation or keep the horses and humans separated until it is safe to resume. This does not mean that the horses are running wild and people are screaming, rather, things more subtle, like the horse has its ears pinned, and clients are circled up to talk about how the horse was feeling before it becomes a situation.

You really can't do without a good ES. A good ES is someone who can follow the therapist's train of thought (in terms of treatment and guiding clients through the session), and is comfortable with feelings. Inexperienced ES's can de-rail a session quickly if they become uncomfortable with what is being shared in the session. They can do things like cheer someone up when they are starting to have real feelings about something deeply hurtful, for example, or focus on a small cut on the horse's leg, or manure in the arena, instead of letting the clients have their experience, and forgetting about the little things that can wait.

EAGALA has as a part of its training, something called apostrophe S's, or 'S. This is about the things that bother you that interfere with your ability to create a safe, productive space for clients. If you find yourself thinking, "Geez, that sounds a lot like my life" and you begin to drift off into your own world - STOP! These are your 'S's, and they can be very harmful to your clients. A good ES knows how to check this 'stuff' at the barn door!

Finally, it is really important to have an ES that can help with activity development that is RELEVANT to the client's needs. What may not be helpful is someone who just 'goes through the book' and has clients experience all of the activities in the certification manual until they have exhausted the possibilities. Therefore, creativity is key!

Fresh Steps EAP is very fortunate to have Micah Lange as our ES. She is certified in EAGALA, and has a great deal of horse experience. She is also continuing her learning by studying the Parelli model of Natural Horsemanship. Thank you Micah!

Why have a Therapist?

"We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, 

but we rather have those because we have acted rightly."

Aristotle 384 B.C.-322 B.C., Greek philosopher and scientist, 

student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great

I have often heard people mumble about how a therapist isn't really needed, and in fact, have heard some people say that therapists actually get in the way of people in counseling. They have some horses, and have helped people in their lives, perhaps a relative or friend, and found that just BEING around the horses helped with mental health issues, and wonder why anyone needs to pay a therapist to do what the horses already do so well. After all, people admit that they felt better after coming home from Iraq and spent a lot of time with their horse. People see children blossom when they spend time with a horse. This is certainly true, and is one of the major reasons we use horses in therapy. Not everyone has access to a horse, and not all of these results are lasting or permanent. However, we would like this to be so.

 

There is a reason people go to a therapist's office and talk for 50 minutes. It is because they feel better when they do this (though not everyone responds to talk therapy). Now, just imagine putting the skills of the therapist with the skills of the horse... you get equine therapy. Now, we also need an Equine Professional or Equine Specialist (whichever you prefer) in the session as well, but I'll get into that next time. For now, let's think about how the therapist is helpful in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.

Now, I could get all particular about it and point out that it is called Psychotherapy, and in order to actually DO that job, you probably should be a psychotherapist. But, we shall delve a little deeper...

You can probably do some plumbing, but you may not be a plumber. You might be able to install a light switch, but you don't call yourself an electrician. You might train your own horses, but you don't tell people you are a professional horse trainer. You can help children with their homework, or teach them about something you know, but you may not be a teacher. 

I have cut my husband's hair, but I'm not a barber. It came out OK, and it saved $12, so we were happy. When we have to pay that $12, however, we definitely expect that the barber is licensed, and that things are kept clean and sanitary. If we get a bad haircut, we probably won't refer our friends there, but what about if we get an infection? A license doesn't assure us that we will get a good haircut, but it does assure us that this barber is under the pervue of a licensure board. This means that if something bad happens, a customer can file a grievance with the board, and be sure that this sort of thing does not happen again. It doesn't mean that I want to go to the trouble of complaining - I don't. Application for the license both explains and maintains standards. It is just that any given barber is less likely to break a law because of the availability of this process. It keeps them honest.

The same is true for other professions, including therapists. In Montana, there is one board shared by Licensed Addiction Counselors (LAC's), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPC's), and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW'S). I am an LCSW. This means that I have not only completed my Master's degree in Social Work, but also that I have completed 2000 hours of supervised practice, and followed that up with a standardized examination through the ASWB (Association of Social Work Boards) that demonstrated my ability to do the work. It was no simple feat. 

All these hoops are present to assure that if someone is going to get paid to help you mend your emotional well-being, then they better well know what they are doing. Just like with the barber, there is a license board with a grievance procedure to keep everyone honest. A therapist should be aware of ethical guidelines and agree to follow one or more Code of Ethics - not only because there are negative consequences, but also because it is the right thing to do. A Code of Ethics is basically rules to live by for professionals. They have to do other things too, like maintain continuing education, and practice within their scope. Scope is just a fancy way of saying 'your particular area of expertise'.

So, if you are engaged in ethical practice, then you should be practicing withing your scope. If you aren't a therapist, and you are practicing therapy (no matter what you call yourself), then you are at great risk of causing harm. You could safely say, then, that licensure is about protection of the public.

Special training is needed for any additional services you provide, such as dance therapy, art therapy, play therapy, and equine therapy. There are centers around the country and around the world that specialize in training existing therapists to perform these value-added forms of treatment. EAGALA trains, certifies, provides continuing education and support for its members. EAGALA is the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. Their website can be found here:

http://www.eagala.org

My agency, Fresh Steps EAP, follows the ethical guidelines set forth by NASW (National Association of Social Workers) as well as the code from EAGALA. In fact, we are one of the few agencies in the world to hold the designation "EAGALA Distinguished Program Member". 

EAGALA Distinguished Program Members around the world 

Through EAGALA, I and my staff have received special training to use horses in therapy. As for me, my job is to make sure that clients are kept emotionally safe during these very powerful sessions. I also develop and implement treatment plans with the individual's or family's goals. I am there to provide an opportunity to process, learn, and grow, in a safe space. If I fail to do this, I am at risk of not only hurting someone, but also of losing everything for which I have worked: my career. When I proudly hang up my license as well as my special certifications, I am letting everyone know that ethics and providing the best service is not only important to me, but also that I am staking my reputation on it.

The usual answer is, it is essential to have a therapist present in any EAP or EAL (Equine Assisted Learning) session because of the powerful nature of the sessions. Emotional issues come out even when you do your best to avoid them. When strong feelings emerge, you need a therapist to handle things in a safe and respectful manner. Another point is that if you indeed are avoiding feelings, you are causing harm to the person by letting them believe that their feelings are not acceptable. They may tend to 'stuff' their feelings because it has been made clear that they should not be shared. This can be particularly harmful to children.

If you are still with me, than kudos to you! This is a very controversial subject because many horse folks are really motivated to get started doing this work, but may not have found a therapist to work with. If this is you, contact me right away! Join EAGALA, join our networking group, start meeting people in your area that are interested in sharing your passion for this work, and attend trainings and the annual conference. There is support for you, and our hope is that you start a program in your area that is fun, profitable, and successful! Trust the process!

EAP, an Overview

You may ask, what exactly IS Equine Assisted Psychotherapy?

The simple answer is that it is a mental health therapy session that incorporates horses into the session. There is less talk and more hands-on activities. Folks learn more about their approach to different situations, and are allowed to explore new ways to do things, so they can transfer that knowledge and experience into their lives outside the arena. You could think of it as using the metaphors created in the play and activities with the horses that are meaningful. 

We often tell new clients that they will not be told 'what to do'. Within the first or second session, however, we find people asking what to do. We encourage them to explore new ways of problem solving and new ways to communicate since horses don't speak English. Horses rely on reading body language and other messages from non-equids in order to survive. Our horses respond to hearing a squirrel chirp. As far as I know, they don't speak squirrel, they just have an instinct that something is wrong, and need to keep an eye out when they hear this sound.

In any given activity, there might be one or more of the following 'rules': 

1. No halters or lead ropes
2. No touching the horse
3. No bribing the horse or pretending to have food
4. No talking
5. (and most importantly) Anything else you CAN do.

For some reason, the 5th rule is the hardest for everyone to remember, until they have participated in a few sessions. 

All activities are done on the ground, so there is no riding, or horse experience needed. Every session has two humans facilitating. These are the licensed (or license eligible) therapist, and the equine professional. The therapist is primarily there to be sure that treatment goals are being met, and that emotional safety is present. The equine professional or equine specialist (either name is good) is there to develop relevant activities to help the participant attain their treatment goals, to incorporate the horse into the session, and maintain physical safety for everyone.

Activities can vary from an observation activity to grooming, or getting the horse to move or stand still. Activities can be held in an arena, round pen, paddock, pasture, or really any area that meets the client's needs. 

The thing to know is that EAP is very difficult to understand until you have actually seen or experienced it. At this point, you probably get the basic gist of the work, but knowing horses and the amazing power they have to heal is something you have to see in person to really appreciate. 

One of our volunteers, Gay, with a mare, Destiny

Demonstrations are a great place to see this work. Fresh Steps EAP offers demonstrations throughout the year, and hopes to have demonstrations in other areas of Montana. Send an email if you would like to be added to our mailing list. Get involved! We have a strong volunteer program, and encourage you to help out, and get some fun time with the horses.